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Monday, September 15, 2008

Why Sea Urchin sushi (uni) tastes SO frakking good!

If you've ever enjoyed the fine diversity of Japanese cuisine, and are a serious sushi connaisseur (as I am) you have probably experienced the singular love of uni-a type of sushi made from the gonads (which produces the roe) of a sea urchin. To be sure, uni is not something everyone "gets" the first time they try sushi.But, for people who enjoy uni, they REALLY enjoy it. Its a compulsion to order it when they visit the sushi bar!! But why???

That being said can sea urchins handle the fishing stress?Incidentally, according to one of the papers I found, the chemical in S. purpuratus can reduce the fertilization capacity of sperm cells. This study was via direct application-not via ingestion, but if you are trying to be fertile, it probably doesn't hurt to lay off the uni, if you're having it every night! (plus uni is quite rich..so you probably can have too much of a good thing!!).

I am a massive fan of uni, having been properly introduced at a quality restaurant by a connoisseur many years ago. SO GOOD. Actually, what I need to figure out is how/when to harvest our own. I mean, we see urchins a LOT! Unfortunately I am the only uni fan in our family (ahhh....don't know what they are missing) so it hasn't been a foraging priority. ;-)

I simultaneously encourage you to satisfy your palette but also to be careful with appropriate species. Some tropical urchins are quite poisonous and I don't know if there's a relationship between degree of defense and flavor/toxicity/unpleasantness of their gonads.

I over the course of the last few hours have consumed about 100 grams of uni using chopsticks sea salt and lemon zest in tiny amounts. What a sinful food that I love to indulge in every once and a while. AS far as getting high is concerned....maybe it' not just the taste I am craving! I just found out today that it's not actually the roe of the urchin it is the gonads...Non male or female specific kinda gonads...however this does not discourage me from enjoying it.

I always joked that uni is like my own personal crack cocaine. No one else I know seems to like it, aside from a select few foodies I met online. I love that a local seafood shop here will CALL me when they get some in fresh. They're like my drug dealer! LOL! It's interesting to have scientific evidence to suggest it is acting like a drug when people eat it, albeit in small quantities. I used to live in Japan and I miss eating fresh urchin there quite often. I was spoiled. Now I gotta wait for calls from my 'dealer' to get more, hehe. I also enjoy it in pasta sauce. I wonder what species the Italians use in their culinary ventures?

Hi Chris, I am a huge fan of sea urchin so your article caught my attention. Just tried some stunning ones from California recently. How would you compare the finest Californians Sea urchins to some of Japanese finest? Never tried the Japanese sea urchins

I am an UNI FREAK! Love it, love it, love it. Did I say I love it? And it's interesting that perhaps we can catch a buzz off it. Today I was doing Uni Shooters at my fav local sushi bar (Ichiban, Bakersfield, CA) and the waitress came over and asked me if I was ok because I was staring blankly off into space. I told her, "I think I caught too much of a buzz off the shooter", thinking it was the Plum Wine, but perhaps.....

Sea urchins are actually closely related to our ancestors, they have thyroid hormones that are the same as ours, its possible that those also give us a boost when eating them(the hormones survive the gut to be absorbed).

About Me

I pursue starfish related adventure around the world with a critical eye and an appreciation for weirdness.
Support has been courtesy of the National Science Foundation but the views and opinions presented herein are mine and do not reflect the opinions of them or any affiliated institutions.
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